The Heroes That Never Stop Fighting
by Katniss-Peeta Mellark
Summary: Percy has lost Annabeth to a mysterious force in the North. She left him a letter, telling him not to come find her. "Should be back in a couple of days. Don't worry." But she wasn't. Now he's prepared to search the Earth in order to find her.
1. Annabeth and Athena

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson Characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus Characters_**

* * *

_**Annabeth and Athena**_

_**Annabeth's POV**_

I shake my head and erase the pillars. They're uneven. If I'm going to do this correctly, they need to be placed exactly the same from the edges of the building, supporting the weight. I start again, this time caculating the correct distance. I smile, holding the picture up. This would look good at camp. I want to redesgin the Big House, and Chiron is all for it. It is falling apart, and has been for a while.

The doorbell rings, and almost immediatly;"Annabeth, get the door!" My dad yells from his study.

I roll my eyes and get up from the couch. He's been busy lately, getting ready for an important meeting he had next week. I'm leaving that week for Camp Half Blood, where I get to see my boyfriend, Percy. I've spent the whole school year away from him, and judging from the news, he hasn't blown anything up. Yet. Almost always, I'm thinking of him. He's perfect. But not seeing him allows me to focus on my studies. I unlatch the door and open it. My jaw drops.

"Mom!" I say.

"Hello, Annabeth dear. May I come in?" My mom asks, a smile on her face.

I nod. "Yeah, of course."

She walks in, taking in my books all over the floor of the living room. She smiles. "So, Annabeth, I've got a job for you."

"Annabeth, who is it?" My dad calls from his study.

Athena looks at me. "Oh. It's just a friend from camp dad." She says, winking at me.

"Okay, just don't blow up San Fran." He calls.

Athena sits. "Annabeth, I had in my possesion, a very important scroll. It was taken a while ago, while I was busy. I need it back before the Spring Solstice. I've got some plans on it, and I'm going to present them to the others. Without the scroll, I can't present them. I need you to go north, and retrieve it for me. It shan't take more that a week."

"Okay, Mom. Do you know who took it?" I say.

She shakes her head. "No. But I know you'll be able to figure it out. Good luck." She snaps her fingers, and I turn away before she assumes her true godly form. I head to the living room and gather my papers. I need to get moving, so I can make the deadline. I grab my backpack, my new dagger, and my canteen of nectar.

"Dad, I'm heading to camp early this year!" I call.

"Be safe!" He calls back.

I slip on my Yankees cap and head out the door. I have one stop to make before I can head north: Percy's school.

* * *

I get a glimpse of him as I slip in the door, and my heart goes crazy. He's the kind of boy that will do that. And he's mine. My heart melts, and I have a desire to get closer to him, but I can't. I must get this quest over with in order to see him on time this summer. The bell rings, and he goes into his class. I head right to his locker and after a moment, I dial the correct combination.

I frown, slipping the letter into Percy's book. I don't like the idea of leaving him again, especially after the last time. But my mom wants the scroll back. And she enlisted me to help her. So I need to get it back. And I can't take longer than two weeks, because that's when Percy gets to camp. We've spent the whole year apart, mainly because he's in New York and I'm in San Francisco. I'll meet him when I get back. This shouldn't be too hard, considering all the other quests I've been on. The bell rings, and I realize with a jolt I've taken too long. I close his locker and I slip out the fire escape. I look through the window and see him sitting down. My heart is thudding out of control now. He looks out the window and I freeze. His eyebrows scrunch, and he makes the same face I see when I'm describing stuff to him- he's confused. Then he looks away, towards his teacher. I leave the fire escape. I can't waste anymore time staring at Percy. I need to find this scroll.

But as I turn to leave, I feel a sense of dread. The last time I went off by myself, it didn't turn out too well.


	2. The Letter

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. _**

* * *

**_The Letter_**

**_Percy's POV_**

I slammed my locker door and turned towards my history class. I was almost done with school, and this time not one monster has come after me yet. Out of habit, I check the hall before heading into the classroom. I grin, not seing a single thing. As I walk into the classroom, and a few kids snicker.

"Percy Jackson, how nice of you to join us." My teacher, Mr. Yelk says.

"Sorry I was late sir. I got caught up in the office." I lie smoothly.

"Oh. Well then, take a seat." Yelk says.

I sit down near the window, and glancing out it, notice a shadow on the fire escape. I frown. There's got to be a reason that's there, and I know it's not Annabeth. I turn my attention back to the class. After a few minutes, my demigod brain goes haywire, and I'm unable to focus. I glance out down at my desk and notice a piece of paper is tucked into my notebook. Glancing around, I see almost everyone else is texting or passing notes. Mr. Yelk is oblivious, as always. I open my notebook and grab the paper. I turn it over and immediatly notice the handwriting. Annabeth. My heartbeat picks up speed.

_"Percy,_ _I was going to tell you this in person, but I needed to go. I have to head north, on a quest to retrieve an artifact. I have set out alone, and you have no need to worry about me. Finish school, and I'll see you at camp. Don't come after me. I have to do this alone. I'll be in touch with camp, and you. Just don't worry, Seweed Brain, I'll be fine._

_Annabeth _

I was confused. What was so important that Annabeth had to do it alone? Why couldn't she take me? Even after we found her in Arachne's lair, with her hurt ankle, I couldn't bear to let her on her own quest. I never liked the idea of her going off on her own, fighting monsters. What if she was caught? What if she needed help, and no one was there to save her? Even after all we've been through, she goes off on her own. I can barely stand sitting in school while she was out there, fufilling her duty.

"Mr. Jackson, need I remind you not to pass notes in this class?" Mr. Yelk says. A few kids snigger. I go red.

"Sorry sir. It won't happen again." I say.

"No. It won't." He says. I look around and there's no more kids in the classroom.

I look back at Yelk, but he's not there. In his place is a empousa, and he's snarling at me. Now, I have battled empousi before, but I've never seen a male one. I reach for my pen, and uncapping it, it grows into my sword, Riptide. The empousa flinches when he sees the celestial bronze blade.

"Perseus Jackson. Prepare to die." He hisses, lunging at me.

I roll out of my desk as he nocks it to the floor. I dodge his fist as he swings it at my face. I slash with Riptide as he lunges at me and I watch as his arm turns to dust. He howls with rage and snaps his fingers. For a second, nothing happens, and then there's flames all around us, burning the school. I fient to the left and he falls for it, and at the last second he tries to change course and I swing my blade down on his head. He explodes into a pile of dust. I grimace, looking at the flames around me.

I almost had a good thing going for me, and a monster came and burnt it. No doubt it would be blamed on me. I fish out a drachma just as the overhead sprinklers turn on. I cap my pen and head to the window, where a mist has created a rainbow. I toss my drachma and pray. "Oh godess accept my offering."

"Sally Jackson, Upper East side." I say. My mom comes into focus, baking in the kitchen.

"Mom!" I say, and she turns to me.

"Percy! What is that behind you?" She says, catching a glimse of the fire behind me.

I turn. "Mom, I have to go to camp early. An empousa attacked me and burnt the school."

She frowned. "Percy."

I held up my hand. "It's okay Mom. I just wanted to tell you before I left."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll call Chiron. Tell him you're coming." She said, frowning.

"Thanks Mom. I have to go." I say. The connection breaks before she can say anything. I turn, and miraculously, my backpack hasn't been burnt. I stuff Annabeth's letter in it and head out through the fire escape.

"There he is! Percy started it! I saw him!" A boy yells as he spots me.

I turn quickly and head for a taxi. "Long Island please." I say, getting in.

The cabbie looks at me, and I reconize her instantly.

"Lady Athena. " I say.

Her grey eyes take me in. "Perseus. My daughter went on a quest a couple of days ago. I sent her. She should have been back by now. She has not returned. I need you to find her. " She says.

"My lady?" I ask.

"Go north. You shall find her in the land the mortals call Canada." She says. "Do not fail me, Perseus Jackson."

She snaps her fingers and I'm alone, standing on the bottom of Half-Blood Hill. I frown. Athena, Annabeth's mother, wouldn't ask me for help if she wasn't in trouble. Knowing demigods, trouble is three times as bad. I head up the hill and nod at Travis and Conner Stoll, who are on guard duty.

"Hey Percy! Nice to see you here! Why are you so early?" Connor says.

"An empousa attacked." I say, shrugging, and he nods.

"Since you're here, you turned it into dust right?" Travis said.

I nod, and decend into the Camp.


	3. Trains and Tyson

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. _**

* * *

_**Trains and Tyson**_

_**Annabeth's POV:**_

He stood, not five feet away, pounding at the bronze. I could see the steam and the bubbles as they forged the weapons underwater. Tyson. I couldn't understand why I was seeing this, but I knew it must be important somehow.

"Tyson?" I asked, stepping forward.

"Annabeth!" He cried, running towards the mist. He frowns.

"Tyson, why did you Iris-message me?" I ask.

He scratches his head. "I didn't Iris- message you."

"But-Tyson," I begin, catching on,"What do you know of the North?" I ask.

He frowns and backs away. "Scary. Dark. Bad monsters." He says.

I frown. I'd like more answers, but apparently, he's too upset to talk about it. "Well, thanks Tyson." I say.

"Say hi to Percy for me!Tell him to kill some monsters." He calls, just before the image fades.

It's like a fresh knife cuts through me. Of course Tyson would think Percy was on a quest with me. I feel bad, not letting him know. And I miss Percy. We've become so close, and my mom hasn't stepped in again. Which makes me happy. It means she wants me to be happy. But I'm not. She asked me to go on this quest, and I had to go by myself, without Percy. I almost sit down and cry, but then I steel myself.

"Get a grip Annabeth" I mutter to myself, hiking towards Vermont. I've traveled from the island by a bus. I figure I have a half a day's hike to get to the border. My mom had handed me a passport, so I didn't have to worry about that. I just needed to worry about getting to Rimouski, where the scroll should be. I pack up my bag, and start to set off. In just a couple of minutes, I hear a sound from the south. I jog over to a clearing, and just my luck, a passenger train is slowing down for a crossing. The wistle blows, and I hop on the nearest car. As I settle down inside, I remember the last time I was on a train on a quest.

* * *

_There's only us three, and we've caught the train to get to the West coast. It's me, Percy, and Grover, a lot younger than we are now. Young, innocent, and we have no clue what's going to happen next. We're enjoying the warmth and the free ride. Percy's talking to me, and Grover's sleeping. _

Instead of listening to him, I'm staring at his eyes, his hair, his mouth, his body. It's been so long since I've seen him, and even though we talked like everyday, I still miss him like crazy. Thalia told me I was in love. She told me that, before she found me, she thought she was in love. She was wrong, and it made her tougher. She assured me though, that what me and Percy had was special.

"You two love birds are destined to be. I've seen it ever since I came out of that stupid pine tree. And he'll never let you go. He loves you." She'd said.

I had blushed, unsure of how much I felt about him. I did know one thing for certian though: I was crazy about him. And I still am. I doubt that will ever go away. I know now that I won't ever look at another boy like I look at him. But I worry about him. We are heroes after all. But both of us know that it's possible to grow old together now. Plus, we're not enemies of the Romans anymore. He and I could move there, not far from my dad, ... . But I want to study architecture, and he wants to train demigods.

The train shudders and I sit upright, fully aware now. I know one thing comes out of unscheduled stops, and I need to move. I have to get off. I open the door to the corridor and take a step back.

"Ticketsss pleasse." A dracaene says. I pull out my new knife and her eye catches the blade.

"Ahhh a demigod. SSssissster, I found it. " The dracaene says.

A slythering sound comes from the corridor and I brace my self. When the other is in full view, I slice my knife down, cutting it's hand off. She hisses at me. I dodge her, and stab my knife into the other's chest. She explodes into dust and I dodge the other's sword. I'm pushed out into the corridor and I'm forced to duck as her sword comes swinging at my head. The sword lodges in the wood paneling and it gives me enough time to drive the knife in up to it's hilt. The dracaene hissess. I smile. She explodes into dust and I look around.

The mortals are coming into the hall, noticing the dust. I look left and there's an old couple looking at me like I'm the monster. I clench my fists. Of course they would think that. The mist would have them thinking I killed another human. Indignant, I go back in my compartment and grab my bag. So much for a free ride to the border.

Now I'm hiking in the woods, the cold, in the middle of April. At least I'm used to this, Luke, Thalia and I used to have hideouts all around the coast. With a pang, I remember Luke, and how he gave his life to stop the titan Kronos. He was good in the end. Thalia's no longer like me, in fact, I'm as old as she was when she stopped aging. She's Artimis' lieutenant now, off hunting some ancient monster or travling. We've all changed so much. Myself included.

There's a noise off to the left and I freeze. A twig snaps. I grip the hilt of my knife. Then another twig snaps.

"Miss, I'm afraid you must go through border patrol in order to cross into Canada." A man says, walking up to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir, I was hiking and I got lost. Could you show me the way back to town?" I asked.

He narrows his eyes at me. I can tell he's suspicous. "Norton is about ten miles south. Be careful, there's some nasty stuff in these woods." He says, turning away.

"Thank you!" I call, heading south. I need to get to town so I can eat. I'm practically starving, and I don't have anymore food. All I have is ambrosia and nectar, but that's for emergencies.

* * *

JEEZ. I swear that I'm dyslexic. I had to type words six times before I spelled them right. Anyway, I hope you liked it!


	4. I Run Into More Trouble

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. _**

* * *

**_I Run Into More Trouble_**

**_Annabeth's POV_**

I made it back to the nearest town, Norton. I was stopped in a coffee shop and was getting something to eat. I glanced out the window and noticed how bright the sun was after the rain had stopped. I scan the street for anything that would mean danger for me, and notice a rainbow.

Tempting.

All I want to do is Iris-Message Percy and look at his face and talk to him. I wish I was over with this quest already, so I could spend my summer with him. We could sit in the sand and watch the waves and sneak a kiss or two before someone comes and needs either me or him. He could splash me with water and I could look up grumpily from my papers I'm working on for my firm. I just need to see him, just once, to keep me from returing back to Camp right away.

I grab my scone and step outside to the bright sunlight. Squinting, I head down to the street when I see it.

A fountain.

I reach in my pocket and start to scrounge for a drachma when I peer closer and see what's at the bottom of the fountain.

Drachmas.

A chill races down my spine and I glance around. No one's watching me, so I quickly reach down and scoop a handful up. Not wasting any time, I throw one in the fountain's spray and chant in my head.

"Oh godess, accept my offering and show me Percy Jackson."

The Iris image shimmers and I see him talking to someone. She's about the same hieght as my mother and she _looks_ like my mother. As I watch, Percy gets more and more distraught. He nods to the woman and walks out of the image. The woman turns and I get a glimpse of her face before the Iris-Message dissolves in the wind.

It _was_ my mother. Athena. Talking to _my_ boyfriend. Asking him for help. The answer comes to me before the question does. She was talking to Percy to help me. But why would I need help? I'm not caught. I'm safe. no monsters are attacking me.

Too late, I sense a presence lurking over by the benches, watching me. I spin around and notice him for the first time. He's smirking, like he knows something I don't. He's tall, about six foot, with blond hair and brown eyes. He's muscular too. He's coming towards me, and I start to panic. Is he a god, disguised? Is he a monster? Is he a demigod that saw me making an IM?

He nods to me, sitting down on the bench next to me. "I know who you are. Don't be alarmed. I can help you. I'm Eric." He says, holding out his hand.

"Mine's Annabeth. Who am I?" I ask, taking his hand and shaking it.

He leans even closer to me and I can smell someting wonderful on him. "A demigod." He wispers, winking. He stands. "Come with me. I can get you where you need to go."

Since I'm stuck in a town I need to get out of, I go with him, dispite the fact that my instincts are screaming no.

He leads me out of the square and towards a green Ford F-150 truck. We climb in and he starts the engine, turning onto the street and going north. "Do you need anything? Nectar? Ambrosia? I heard about the young blond girl chopping up a couple of old ladies on a train with a knife. I thought you might need a ride north." He explains.

I shake my head. "No. I'm fine. And yeah, I need to get to Rimouski." I say settling down for the ride.

Multiple times he tries to engage me in converstation, but I just shrug and look back out the window. He's someone who talks alot when he's nervous. He's been talking about how he's been able to stay in one place, but I immediatly don't trust him when he mentions this. The only place a person like us would be able to stay is Camp or with the Romans. It's not safe anywhere else. He says his mom helped set up a border around the town, and that's when I know he's not a demigod. My senses are on full alert now, and I'm waiting for something to happen. There is no way that a god could hide someone like us for seventeen years. Especialy since when we know we're a demigod.

He must be something else.

I come to this conclusion just as he turns the truck down an off-road, beaten path.

"Don't worry Annabeth, I'm just picking up some supplies from my house." He says, pulling in front of a dark house. He grins at me as he slips out of the truck. He limps towards the house and I hold my breath.

He's an empousa. His image flickers and I can see the demon underneath.

"Curse you Annabeth. You should've known." I mutter to myself, struggling to unbuckle my seat belt.

He hisses something in Ancient Greek that turns my blood to stone.

_"Kelli, I've brought us a meal. A demigod." _

I've just managed to unbuckle and I slip out of the truck. His head whips around and then he's gone. I turn to run, and he's standing in front of me.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?" He asks, back in his human form.

I take a step back and I run into something soft. I turn, looking at Kelli, an empousa with flaming red hair and a metal leg and a furry one. I shake. I know who she is. Percy ran into her a while ago, long before we fought Kronos.

She grins. "Annabeth, you look delightful. I bet Percy would just be heartbroken when he hears what I'm going to do to you."


	5. Plans and Pegasi

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. _**

* * *

**_Plans and Pegasi_**

**_Percy's POV:_**

Chiron was waiting for me on the porch of the Big House. He stood as I got closer.

"Percy. I had hoped to see you in a week. Your mother contacted me. I've called a meeting." Chiron said, leading me into the house.

"Percy!An empousa attacked you? Was it Kelli?" Grover asked.

"Hey, good to see you again, G-man. And no, it wasn't Kelli this time. Hey Piper, Leo, good to see you." I said, sitting down.

"Percy, what is this about?" Clarisse says, pounding her fist on the table.

So I told them the story. But not about Annabeth's letter. That was mine. Chiron looked-sad? Grover looked at me, he could feel I was holding something back. Piper was close to tears. Leo was frowning for once. Even Clarisse looked down.

"Chiron, is that even possible?I mean, a male empousa?" Piper asked, looking up.

He looked troubled. "Yes. But they are extremely rare. Considering Percy's past, I'm not surprised a monster like that decided to attack him. But one question remains. Percy, will you undertake this quest?" He said, looking at me.

I frowned. "I'm not sure what scroll Athena was talking about, but I need to get to Annabeth. She can't be missing. She's too smart for that." I say.

"Percy, you will need to pick two companions for this quest. Be warned: The north is very dangerous. I must leave you. Good luck." Chiron said, walking away.

Piper and Leo shiver. "The north. Not good man." Leo says. I remember them talking about thier time in Canada.

Piper, Leo, Clarisse, and Grover all look at me expectantly. I look right back at them.

"Sorry man, but I can't go." Grover says, looking down. "I want to save Annabeth and all, it's just-"

I get up and pat him on the back. "I know man. You've got a life here. It's fine." I say. I look up. "Piper?" I ask.

She nods. "Yeah. I can. I'll help you find her." She says. "I just-" She says, blushing.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning." I say, sensing what she was about to say.

She smiles. "Thanks Percy!" She says, jumping up. She hugs me and then dissapears out the door.

Clarisse frowns. "No, Percy, I can't. I'm sorry." She says, and she too walks out.

I frown. I wonder what's going on to have Clarisse turn down a quest like that. But I guess it might have something to do with me. I look at Leo.

Leo hops up. "You got it buddy." He says before I can say anything. "I'll grab a few things I've been working on. They'll come in handy." He says, clapping me on the back. I smile gratefully.

"Percy, um, there's someone on the beach for you." Juniper says, sticking her head in the door.

"Who?" I ask.

She giggles. "If I told you, where would the fun be in that?" She says.

"Percy, man, I'm sorry." Grover says.

I turn to him. "Dude, I completely understand. Okay? It's alright."

He nods, and he runs after Juniper. I sigh, looking out over the camp. I steel myself and head over to the beach.

"Yo, boss, what's new?" Blackjack asks, as he sees me.

"You're the one who wanted to see me? Dude I've been gone what, like five months?" I joke.

He shakes his head. "No. I'm not the one. It's someone else. He just asked me to stay for a bit."

"Percy. I am sorry to hear about Annabeth. I was enjoying seeing you happy for a change." My father said, walking from the direction of the bordwalk.

"Dad." I say.

"Athena told me. I know you require transportation, and Tyson told me to give you this, so I decided I'd stop by." He said, holding out a wristwatch.

I smile. "Thanks Dad. Tell Tyson I'll see him soon, okay?" I say, turning to go.

"Percy, just one more thing. Beware of the North. There's some bad monsters up there. Be Careful." He says, dissapearing in the sea breeze.

"Yo, boss are you going to hook me up with some sugar cubes?" Blackjack asks.

"Yeah man, lets head back to camp so I can pack, okay?" I ask, attaching the watch to my wrist.

* * *

I was packing my bag in my cabin when the door opened.

"You think you can save Annabeth without me?" Thalia says, smiling.

I almost hug her, but then think twice about it. "No. But it was worth a shot." I say.

"Well, Seaweed, I think I have a right to go on this quest. Annabeth's my unoffical little sister." Thalia says.

Somehow, Thalia calling me Seaweed was okay. I guess I missed someone calling me Seaweed Brain. And that someone was Annabeth. Thalia picked up on the nickname, but after I doused her in water and she struck me with lightening, I guess she decided not to call me that.

"I didn't ask you to sell me on why you should go, I just was going to say come along." I say, turning towards my (repaired) fountain.

"Hey, Perc, you'll get her back. You'll see her soon. I promise." Thalia says softly.


	6. We Set Out From New York

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. _**

* * *

**_We Set Out From New York_**

**_Percy's POV:_**

I picked up my new shield, my dad visited a couple of days ago and came with a wicked shield Tyson made for me. I press the edge of the shield and it collapses back into the watch. I smile. The last wristwatch/shield Tyson made me saved my life from a manticore, right before- no. I don't want to think about that. Not now. My hair no longer has that silver streak from the time I spent holding the sky. But Annabeth remembers it, and so do I. We both understand the burden of literally holding the fate of the world in our hands.

I slip my ambrosia and nectar into my backpack and add a handfull of blue taffy. I scan my cabin, searching for something I may have missed. My eyes find it. The picture of me and Annabeth, sitting on the beach, holding hands. It was taken after we closed the Doors, and I remember just being so happy that I was safe again, with my girl, and she was happy. I smile, and reach over and pluck it off the wall. I fold it up and slip it into my pocket. There. It should be safe. I stride over to the repaired fountain and I fish out some drachmas. I'll need these to call camp when I was on my quest. Now all I have to do is visit the Oracle.

I leave my cabin and a few of the Athena campers clap me on the back and wish me luck. They want Annabeth back too. I smile at them as I head to the Big House. Rachel arrived yesterday, and I know she's talking to Chiron as she usually does after she gets back from school. On an impulse, I look up to the top window of the House. I shiver. I remember, before Zoe Nightshade got her quest, that I had seen someone looking out the window. The old oracle in the attic was creepy, a shrunked, shriveled corpse that did nothing but spout prophecies. I'm glad Rachel is the oracle now, because I won't have to ask the last one for my prophecy.

I'm on the porch when Rachel comes out of the house. She smiles at me.

"I'm really sorry about Annabeth, Percy." She says.

I glance at her. "What must I do to help her?" I ask.

She gasps and suddenly, the voice she's talking in is not her own. It's the familiar sound of the oracle's.

"_Four shall go north to the land of the winds, _

_two shall face perilous binds, _

_one shall make a choice that will either save or destroy,_

_ancient and modern wisdom together prevail_

_to return home will show enormous courage and sacrifice." _

I have to admit, the second line shaked me up a bit. Which two? What perilous binds? But I know better than to obsess over a phrophecy. Rachel shook her head, and she looks at me.

"I know it's not what you were hoping, but it-" She starts.

I cut her off. "Relax. You cannot control the spirt. It's fine. We'll be fine." I say, reassuring myself more than her.

She nods. "Good luck Percy. I have a feeling you're going to need it." She says, walking away in the direction of her cave.

I watch her go. She reminds me of Calypso, the daughter of Atlas, who only is visited by gods and the occasional boy hero who cannot stay. I have planted some moonlace in my cabin in honor of her. I think she would like that.

"Whatcha doing, Kelp Head?" Thalia says, walking out of the Big House.

"Coming to get you. We'll dicuss the prophecy later." I say, stepping off the porch.

I don't have to say anything, and she follows. It's going to be dangerous on this quest, partly because Thalia and I are really powerful demigods. But there's four of us, and we should be able to get Annabeth back safely. I walk down to the Aphrodite cabin, and Piper is just walking out with a backpack in her hands.

"Leo? Prophecy?" She asks, as she joins us.

"I'm here." Leo calls from across the U of cabins. "Are we leaving now?"

I nod. "Yeah. We're going to rescue Annabeth, even if it takes my last breath." I say.

"Oh my gods, that's so sweet!" Piper gushes.

Thalia rolls her eyes. She's not a relationship type, because she's a Hunter.

We crest Half-Blood hill, and I know Thalia and I are thinking the same thing. I remember the day she woke up there, and Grover mistook her for Annabeth. Gods, he got me so worried. Even then, I recaonized her before she even said her name. She glances at me, and I know she's thinking the same thing.

What if one of us cannot make it back?


	7. We Don't Even Make It Out Of New York

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. _**

* * *

**_Not Even Out Of New York  
_**

**_Percy's POV:_**

Argus filled up a Delphi Strawberry Service van for us and gave us four passports. I thanked him and headed to the hill. If there was one thing a demigod is, we are extremely ADHD, so being nervous makes me look like a kid who has eaten too much candy. I can't stop worrying about Annabeth. I'm gripping the wheel so tight that Thalia looks at me.

"Maybe I should drive." She suggests, and I shoot her a glance.

"I'm fine." I say, a little too harshly. Before she has time to zap me with enough electricity to kill a man, I say; "I'm sorry Thalia, it's just I'm really-"

"Worried about Annabeth." Thalia finishes. "Yeah, me too Kelp Head. Me too." She says, looking out the window.

I glance back and Leo is taking a nap, and Piper is frowning, looking at the magical shield Annabeth used when we were defending New York. A horn honks, and I'm startled. I jerk the wheel and swerve in the lane.

"Holy Zeus, Percy, it looks like you need a nap!" Leo says, sitting up instantly.

I laugh. "Leo, you just went from like dead to the world to wide awake in three seconds." I say.

Thalia laughs, and Piper smiles.

"Relax guys, we've got zero monsters between us and the border right now. " She says cheerfully.

"Great!The Border!" Leo says, belting out into a chorus of 'O Canada'.

"Not that border. The one of NY and Vermont. We're not that lucky." Piper corrects.

The van collapses into silence. With our luck, we'll probably get attacked by more than one monster at a time.

* * *

I regret saying that phrase three hours ago. We're at the border of Vermont now, even though it's just a cheery sign that says "WELCOME TO VERMONT"on it.

We're currently in a life or death situation right now. Except, our whole lives have been life or death situations. A huge cyclops is in front of us, it's nasty legs and it's dirty feet.

Funny thing is that Piper didn't even see the thing in the shield she's now using to keep the cyclops staff away from.

Until it tore the roof off the van.

We scrambled out of the van that was then picked up and tipped into the huge, ugly, mouth.

He made a noise between a growl and an 'Uh-oh'.

I clicked my pen, and it grew into my sword, Riptide. The cyclops, seeing the celestial bronze out of the corner of his eye, dropped the van, and spun towards us.

"Uh, Percy... I don't think you should charge a twenty foot tall cyclops by yourself." Leo said, pressing his belt. His sword pops out of the hidden sheath Leo had made before we'd left.

Just then, I heard a roll of thunder then a bright light blinded me. The cyclops roars. Thalia must be doing her daughter of Zeus thing. I smile grimly.

"Leo, Piper. Let's turn this thing into dust." I say, stepping forward. I break into a sprint and run full speed at the cyclops. I stab him in the leg, and he roars again. Leo is busy hacking at his other leg. Piper has Katoptris out and is hitting the brute in the legs. I run around and hit him in his Achilles heel. He lifts his foot up and starts hopping around on it. Leo laughs.

"Dude, Percy, you made him look like he stepped on a Lego!" Leo calls.

I smile. Leo's grinning. A shadow passes of Leo's head and grows bigger. I look up, and the cyclops is about to set his foot down on Leo.

Leo's grin fades as he looks at me. "What's up, man? You look like a ghost." He says.

I have to save him, and quick. The only thing I have- besides my reflexes and running- that is quick is the water. I look around, desperate to find a puddle, a lake or a pond. Nothing. Trees line the side of the road on both sides. All I can see are trees. Then I notice it. The leaves and grass is wet from a recent rainstorm. Concentrating, I pull the water to me and shoot it at Leo. He's jabbing the giant foot with his sword, delaying himself from becoming a pancake. As the water hits him, he loses his footing and lands on his side. The water safely carries him out from under the cyclops' foot just as it shakes the ground. I stop the flow of water, and my body is suddenly drained. Leo's back and fighting, stabbing and cutting at the legs. Piper is charm-speaking, getting the giant to freeze. Thalia races up the back of the cyclops and then stands on his shoulder. She raises her arms, and for a bit, nothing happens. The cyclops shakes it's head, and Piper is gasping.

"Percy! Help Thalia!" Piper says, noticing my inaction.

I frown. "I'm not sure I can-" I start.

She rolls her eyes. "Just get his feet wet!" She calls.

I nod. This, I can do. Pulling back in the water that I just used to send Leo on a water slide ride, I concentrate at making a giant puddle at the cyclops' feet.

"Thalia!" I shout. "Thalia! IT HAS TO BE NOW!" I yell.

I smell ozone, and then a brilliant flash of white. I let go of my control of the water, and it splashes all of us. I'm immediately better, and I can see the wet, dirty water from the cyclops' dust. Thalia is standing next to me, looking about to puke.

"Better?" I ask.

She nods. Piper and Leo, both soaking wet, come over to where we're standing. Leo puts his sword away and I cap Riptide.

"Man, Percy, why'd you have to get us all wet?" Leo complains.

"I'm sure Percy will dry us off, Leo." Piper says.

I shrug. "Alright." I say, and grabbing both of them, concentrate at getting them dry. Then my vision blurs and all I see is black.


	8. Hungry, Vengeful, Empousi

**_I do not own any of the Percy Jackson Characters, nor any of the Heroes of Olympus Characters_**

**_Hungry Vengful Empousi_**

**_Annabeth's POV: _**

"He won't. He'll be happy when he hears that I've killed you again." I snarl, gripping my knife.

"Now, don't fight girls." Eric says sternly. "I hate it when I eat demigods that are sweaty." He complains.

Kelli whirls on him, turning her back on me and blocking Eric's view of me. "Who cares what you want? This is personal." Kelli snarls at him.

I move. In one fluid move, I slice Kelli's head in half. She turns to dust. I start towards Eric, but he disappears.

"Now, Annabeth, you wouldn't want to kill me. I'm a demigod like you." He says, walking around me. His facade flickers again, and I see his true form.

"You're not. You're like that bitch whom I just turned to dust." I spat.

His hair erupts into flame. "Don't talk about her that way." He snarls.

"What? You and her? I can see it. Charming couple. I bet she's the boss around here. Am I right? You listen to everything she says." I say, twirling my knife in my hand.

He flinches, and I see him try to cover it up.

"Ohh. I get it. She only puts up with you because you do as she says. She's playing you. She doesn't like you. That's pathetic." I taunt him. I can tell I've struck a nerve.

"SHE LOVES ME. YOU HAVE NO IDEA." He yells, and bursts into more flames.

I shrug, turning my knife over in my hands. "If she loves you that much, then she'll be happy to see you in Tartarus." I say, shivering at the name. I haven't said anything related to _that plac_e since Percy and I got out. Percy doesn't either.

He snarls, then pulls a sword from behind his back. I look at it. It could kill me, and I know it probably has poison on it. He charges, and I doge him with a move Percy taught me. I whirl around in time to block his blade. Up close, I can see Greek writing on it.

He's sloppy, and uncoordinated. I disarm him in a matter of seconds and then slice his head off. He turns to dust before he even falls to the ground.

The sword clatters to the ground, and I pick it up. ανηλεής it says. Ruthless. Suddenly I know whose sword this is.

I run into the house, which is dusty and there's a lot of dead rats and mice on the ground. "Erin!" I call, hoping for an answer.

I find a set of stairs. I'm about to go up them when I hear a scream. It's coming from below me. Quickly, I run around the stairs and find the entrance to the basement.

"Erin!" I call down the stairs.

"Who is that? How do you know my name?" A girl calls.

I smile to myself and go down the stairs, two at a time. The basement is no better than the upstairs. Except for the lack of light, it's messy. Over in the corner, I can just make out the outline of a body. As my eyes adjust to the dark, I can see various cages along the walls.

"Erin?" I say softly. I peer into the cage. A body like shape is on the floor.

"Down here." She whispers. "Don't bother, he's dead." She says when I try to unlock the door.

I move down to where she is. "Erin. Thank gods. We thought you were dead." I said, pulling a heavy set of keys off the wall. Kelli and Eric are stupid. Why would you keep these so close to the prisoners?

Erin looks at me. "Annabeth!" Her eyes light up. "What in the world? Wait. You have to get out of here. There's-"

I cut her off. "Two empousi. I know." I say. "I killed them. The guy had this." I say, holding up her sword.

She frowns. "I lost that in Brighton." She says quietly. "I was fighting a guy empousi."

I frown. "Then-" I start as I open the door and hand her the sword.

"Who's the other empousi? Me, of course." A voice says from behind me.

I whirl around, and sure enough, another empousi stood there.

"Nice of you to drop in. I'm going to kill you. You killed my sister." The empousa snarls.

Erin yells, then runs straight at her. "You killed my friend. For Zach!" She yells. She plunges the sword into the empousa's stomach, and the empousa explodes.

"Come on, I know where my supplies are." Erin says, grabbing my hand. She leads me upstairs to a cabinet. She opens it and pulls out a backpack. She hands it to me and grabs the other one.

"That was Zach's. I guess it's yours now." She says quietly.

I frown. "Thanks, I guess. Listen, Erin, I'm sorry about Zach." I say.

She wipes a tear from her eye. "Oh well, we're going to die too if we don't get out of here." She says, changing the subject. "What are you doing here?" She asks.

"I have to get across the border. My mom sent me to get a scroll." I explain as we load the truck. I climb in the passenger seat, and she starts up the engine.

"We were headed to camp. But I'm going to help you get that scroll." Erin says as she steps on the gas. "Didn't anyone come with you?" She asks.

"No. I wasn't at camp when she came to me." I said, looking out the window. "This is going to be dangerous." I warn her.

Erin laughs. "Annabeth, I'm a daughter of Ares. I live for danger."


	9. Rest?

_**I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters or any of the Heroes of Olympus characters. Sadly, they belong to Rick.**_

_**Rest? **_

**_Percy's POV:_**

We've been staggering through the woods for sometime when we stumble across a small stone hut. Two of the four walls are crumbling, the roof sags, but it's big enough to provide shelter for the four of us. Leo is scratched up, Thalia has a twisted ankle, and Piper has sprained her wrist. I've got a nasty scratch on my leg, but I can heal that if we find some water.

I glance at Thalia. "I'll take scout first. I need to find some water and heal up." I say, and she nods gratefully, collapsing onto the stone floor of the hut. Leo looks at me.

"Are you sure man?" He asks. "I know how much those things can drain you." He says, flexing his wrist.

I nod. "How about when I feel myself drifting off, I'll wake you up?" I suggest.

He smiles."It's a plan, bro." He turns and gently sits down, propping his back up against the wall. Within seconds, he's snoring loudly.

Piper glances at me. "Percy, do you think you could heal me too?" She asks, holding her wrist.

"I can try, but what I really need is a stream. My power comes directly from the water." I explain.

She nods. "Actually, I heard a small trickle back around there." She says point.

"Let's check it out. I don't want to be gone too long, these two could be attacked." I say, and we head off into the woods. As we get nearer to the stream, there's a tugging in my gut and I grin. "We're good. It's right here." I say, pulling back a branch.

A small stream gurgles over rocks and fish splash in the cool water. I bend down and run my hand through it. Almost immediately, I can feel my strength returning. The gash on my leg gets smaller, then disappears altogether. "Here, Piper, give me your wrist." I say, and she holds out her hand. I concentrate, and slowly, Piper's wrist looks a lot better.

_"_Thanks Percy. It feels so much better." She says smiling. "Do you think the water is safe to drink?" She says, kneeling by the edge.

I nod. "It should be. It's freshwater, and I saw some naiads earlier." I say, scanning the opposite bank.

There's a strange formation of stones that looks like toes. The trees sway peacefully, and there's not a lot of noise, save for a soft rumbling.

I nudge Piper. "Look at those stones. They're shaped like toes." I say, grinning.

Piper looks up, but her smile fades when she spots them. "They're not shaped like toes, they _are_ toes." She says quietly. "Run!"

I curse in Greek. Piper and I follow the path we came from and don't stop until we reach the hut. We're gasping for breath, and we can hear a rumbling from behind us. I lean forward and shake Thalia's shoulder. She rolls over, sound asleep. Looking around, I spot a small fountain. I concentrate, then douse her in the dirty water.

She sits up quickly, and a bolt of lightning hits the roof. "What did you do that for, Jackson?" She growls.

"Giant." I gasp, turning to Leo. "Leo, man, wake up." I say, shaking him.

I can hear Piper out in the courtyard, trying to charmspeak the giant into turning around. I head out there, uncapping my pen as I go.

"Me no leave demigod meal." The giant rumbles.

The glow of Riptide catches his eyes, and he charges at me. I duck, rolling under his legs, then stand up quickly, thrusting my blade into the crook of his leg. He howls in pain. A bright light flashes, and the giant roars again. Thalia must be doing her "Daughter of Zeus" thing.

A chorus of yapping gets louder, and Leo yells.

"Come on guys, we have to get out of here! There's a bunch of hell hounds coming after us!" He says, sprinting over to Piper and helping her to her feet. I glance at them, distracted. The giant snatches me, and suddenly, I'm high up in the air.

I can see the giant's dirty, yellow, crooked teeth, and as he brings me closer to his mouth, I can smell his rancid breath. I gag. I lash out with Riptide, and it connects with the giant's thumb. He bellows in pain and the tip of the thumb falls to the ground. A bolt of lightning hits his head, leaving a smoking crater. Another hits his hand, and he drops me. I fall about twenty five feet into a pile of thorns.

"ARRRGGG." I yell, pulling a couple of thorns out of my leg. I run towards the giant, and stab his toe. The giant looks down, and Thalia hits him in the head again with a bolt of lightning. He explodes and dust floats down around us.

Thalia runs over to me. "We've got to get moving, the hell hounds are getting closer, and they aren't friendly." She says, putting an arm around my shoulders and hauling me to my feet.

We stagger after Leo and Piper, going as fast as we possibly can. The hell hounds are right behind us now, and one even lunged at us, but Thalia hit it in the eye with her arrows, and it disintegrated.

"Good shot." I grunt, pulling Riptide out of my pocket and uncapping it. I stand up, back against Thalia, as the hell hounds surround us. They growl and snap, closing in.

Just when I think we're done for, a crack opens up underneath them, and they disappear into the earth.

* * *

_**Well, Is it a god, or Nico? Who's sending hell hounds after them? Sorry I took so long in updating, I've been a bit busy. I hope you enjoyed it! **_


End file.
